Appearing at a forum for CPAC faithful with his son, Sen. Rand Paul, the elder Paul only slightly alluded to Trump’s suggestion that the Libertarian favorite just can’t win the White House.

"I try real hard not to respond,” Paul said, speaking broadly about his approach toward confrontation in campaigns. “I don't think you achieve a whole lot. I try to separate the personalities from the issues.”

“By the way, Ron Paul can't get elected, I'm sorry,” Trump said. “I like Ron Paul, I think he is a good guy, but honestly he just has zero chance of getting elected."

Paul often does well in the CPAC straw polls, and smart money is on another strong performance this year. Passing on a chance to respond directly to Trump — and to take questions from POLITICO later — Paul instead offered something of a retrospective of his political career.

"A lot of people ask me how I keep doing this year after year,” Paul said. "Things have changed much more than I ever dreamed."

He tiptoed around the topic of another presidential campaign, even as supporters would interrupt him with applause and chants of “Run, Ron, Run!”

"Our momentum is building, our numbers are growing," Paul said.

Rand was willing to where his father wouldn't, telling CNN: "I think [Trump's] chances are less than my father's."